Spring is officially here – and that means the warmer weather of the summer season is just around the corner. But if your body isn’t ready for shorts and tank tops – and instead wants to continue being in sweaters and overcoats – it might be time to consider a little help.

Traditionally, liposuction has been the go-to choice for patients who need help contouring their bodies and removing excess fat from trouble spots like the stomach, hips, waist, arms, buttocks, and thighs. While liposuction can be extremely effective, it also comes with risks associated with invasive surgery, as well as significant downtime.

Fortunately, there are new treatments on the block that could help you achieve the same look as liposuction over a longer period of time. CoolSculpting is an innovative non-invasive procedure that freezes fat cells beneath the dermis; over time, the fat cells are destroyed and removed by the body’s natural waste processes. What’s more, CoolSculpting minimizes any damage caused to the surrounding healthy tissue.

If you’re looking for help achieving your best body ever this summer, which option should you go for: liposuction, or CoolSculpting?

The answer is, it depends on the amount of time you can devote to recovery, as well as when you’d like to see results. Since liposuction is a more aggressive body contouring treatment, you’re likely to see results faster than with a non-invasive treatment like CoolSculpting. Yet like with all surgical procedures, you’ll need to devote a significant amount of downtime to recovery. Many surgeons recommend taking one to two weeks off of work, depending on how much of the body has been treated. Most patients can return to exercise after six weeks; swelling usually dissipates after three to five months.

CoolSculpting doesn’t require downtime, which might make this an attractive alternative to liposuction. What’s more, this procedure can treat smaller, more localized areas. However, CoolSculpting takes longer to achieve the same results as with liposuction. Depending on the part of the body you’re treating, CoolSculpting could cost the same as traditional liposuction.

No matter which option you pick, you can find both at Accent Plastic Surgery in Tupelo, Mississippi. For more information about which fat removal and body contouring procedure is right for you, visit Dr. Mark Craig at Accent Plastic Surgery in Tupelo today.